Sean Combs, a.k.a. "Puff Daddy" / "P. Diddy" / "Love," is facing federal charges for allegedly leading a sordid empire stretching over a decade across multiple states.
Roughly six months after federal authorities raided his luxury homes in Los Angeles and Miami, the music mogul was arrested Monday and charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by fraud, force, or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
According to the three-count indictment unsealed Tuesday, since 2008, Combs abused, threatened, and coerced women, who were often lured under the pretense of a romantic relationship with Combs, as part of a "criminal enterprise" that engaged in forced labor, kidnapping, arson, and bribery, among other crimes. Combs allegedly led the racket to "fulfill his sexual desires," "protect his reputation," and "conceal his conduct."
Here’s the 14-page indictment against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) September 17, 2024
Three counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution: https://t.co/gEoxkkKmUN pic.twitter.com/fAkHiVtyX2
The charging documents allege that the sexual abuse involved forcing women to perform frequent, days-long sex sessions with male prostitutes sometimes transported across state lines. The music producer allegedly arranged, directed, masturbated during, and electronically recorded these "highly orchestrated," "elaborate sex performances," which he called "Freak Offs."
Officials say that associates of the Combs enterprise facilitated the so-called Freak Offs by booking hotel rooms and stocking them in advance with the "required Freak Off supplies," including drugs, extra linens, and lighting. In March 2024, during searches of the celebrity's properties, law enforcement seized a trove of such supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
To ensure participation in the Freak Offs, the hip-hop star is accused of using violence and intimidation as well as leveraging power over his victims by doling out drugs to keep them "obedient and compliant," threatening to cut off all financial support, and controlling their careers. Combs also allegedly threatened to expose the recordings he made of the Freak Offs "as collateral," if the women did not comply with his demands.
The "persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse" was also, at times, physical, with Combs allegedly assaulting the women by striking, punching, kicking, dragging, choking, and throwing objects at them. These beatings resulted in injuries that took days or weeks to heal.
"To commit these crimes, COMBS relied on his power as the leader of a multi-faceted business empire," the 14-page indictment says. "Employees of COMBS businesses—including high ranking supervisors, security staff, personal assistants, and household staff—acted as COMBS' intermediaries to, among other things, arrange travel and hotel rooms; stock the hotel rooms for COMBS' commercial sex activity; contact or locate women and other individuals whom he targeted for abuse; and conceal and cover up the abuse. This criminal concealment included efforts to prevent law enforcement from learning about his abuse."
Combs operated his business, which was headquartered at various times in Manhattan and Los Angeles, under a variety of corporate entities, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprise, and Combs Global. Collectively referred to as the "Combs Business," the entities included record labels, a recording studio, an apparel line, a spirits brand, a marketing agency, and a television network/media company.
The 54-year-old faces life in prison if convicted of the racketeering charge and a total of 25 years behind bars for the other two.
Combs is scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court Tuesday afternoon before Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky.
"As alleged in the Indictment, for years, Sean Combs used the business empire he controlled to sexually abuse and exploit women, as well as to commit other acts of violence and obstruction of justice," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated in a Justice Department press release.
WIlliams asked other victims of Combs to come forward. "This investigation is far from over," Williams declared.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) acting special-agent-in-charge William S. Walker said: "Today, we shatter any false notion of impunity as we uncover the defendant's alleged pattern of manipulation, exploitation, and outright abuse. Make no mistake: we are here today only because of the unwavering strength of victims and witnesses who have already endured unspeakable hardships. I commend them for their courage and urge anyone who believes they are a victim of sex trafficking to contact HSI by email at Sextrafficking_outreach@hsi.dhs.gov, or via our mobile tip-line: 1-877-4-HSITIP."
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